Managing hot sweats and fatigue if you are having hormone therapy.

  • Hormone therapy for prostate cancer results in many physical effects.
  • Hot sweats and fatigue are two of the most bothersome. 
  • This page will give you some ideas to help you manage these two side effects.

 

Man mopping his brow

Hot sweats

What causes hot sweats?

 

Low testosterone dial

 

  • You may hear hot sweats being called:
    • Hot flushes
    • Hot flashes
  • Testosterone is a male sex hormone (an androgen).
  • Hormone therapy blocks or lowers the amount of testosterone in your body.
  • This causes hot sweats.
  • Some types of hormone therapy are more likely to cause hot sweats than others. This can vary between patients. 
  • You can talk to your healthcare team about hot sweats before you start your therapy.

Visit our dedicated hormone injections page to find out more about the risks of hormone therapy injections. Link will open in a new tab.

Visit our dedicated hormone tablets page to find out more about the risks of hormone therapy tablets. Link will open in a new tab.

 

 

Man wiping his brow

 

  • The feeling can vary between people.
  • Many people experience a feeling of heat in the upper body. This often starts in the face or neck. 
  • Severe hot sweats make you feel very hot and sweaty. You may need a change of clothes. 
  • Your actual temperature does not usually rise during the sweat. 
  • You may get reddening of the skin.
  • You may feel anxious or irritated.
  • Some people may get feel their heart: 
    • Racing
    • beating very fast 
    • pounding or thumping
    • fluttering

This is called having palpitations.  If these palpitations:

  • Carry on after the hot flush has finished or  
  • You begin to feel ill or faint or
  • You experience chest pain 
  • Contact 111 or 999 immediately. 
Man having a night sweat in bed

 

  • It is quite common to get sweats at night. 
  • These are called night sweats.
  • Night sweats can affect the quality of your sleep. 
  • You may not realise that this is happening. But you may begin to feel more fatigued during the day. 
Man with question mark in his head

 

  • Hot sweats often begin within the first three weeks of starting therapy.
  • They may decrease in frequency over time for some. 
  • Some men say that they get used to hot sweats over time. This means they feel better able to cope with them. Others cope less well. 
  • A sweat usually lasts about 3-4 minutes but it can be longer for some. 
  • They can happen 6-10 times per day and into the night. 

 

What the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence say and tips to manage your hot sweats. 

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides guidance on:

  • How different conditions should be treated.
  • What treatments should be made available.

Learn more about NICE and what they do by visiting their website (link will open in a new tab).

NICE has put together guidelines for the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer. This includes: 

  • The information that your healthcare team should tell you before you decide on a treatment and 
  • Support to manage any side effects that you may have after during or after treatment. 

Please note that these are just guidelines and are not a legal requirement. 

 

Infographic about hot sweats

 

Ask your healthcare team about services available in your area. 

 

 

Fatigue

 

Man sitting on side of bed

 

Fatigue is: 

  • A feeling of extreme tiredness that doesn’t get better after sleep or rest
  • A lack of energy and motivation mentally and/or physically.
  • It is not the same as the tiredness you may get after staying up late or exercising too much. These are usually helped by sleep and rest. 
Low testosterone graphic

 

  • Low levels of testosterone
  • Disrupted sleep because of hot sweats
  • Mild anaemia – this means you have fewer red blood cells than normal. 
  • Mild anaemia is a common symptom of hormone therapy. However, as there may be other causes it is a good idea to visit your GP for a check up. 
Man running on treadmill

 

  • Fatigue can vary a lot. Everyone is different. You may feel different levels of fatigue on different days. 
  • Extreme fatigue can sometimes stop you from carrying out your normal activities
  • On good days you may be able to carry on working or getting involved in social or leisure activities. 
  • It may be a good idea to keep a diary. You can note down
    • When you feel fatigued
    • What you are doing
    • The time of day
    • Your moods and emotions
  • You can share this with your healthcare team.

 

Brain fog graphic

 

  • You may feel: 
    • Less motivated
    • Frustrated
    • Less able to concentrate on anything
    • Down and low in mood.
  • It may also affect your sex life.
Man with question mark on head

 

  • Everyone is different. It may last a few months or much longer.
  • It can sometimes last for a time after hormone treatment has ended.

What the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence say and tips to manage your fatigue.

Infographic about hot sweats

About this information

  • This information was published in July 2024. Date of next review: September 2026.
  • References and bibliography available on request.
  • If you want to reproduce this content, please see our Reproducing Our Content page (this link will open in a new external tab).

The toolkit is an information resource for people affected by prostate cancer. The development has been funded through an educational grant from Advanced Accelerator Applications (A Novartis Company).

Organisations

 

Prostate Cancer UK 

  • Prostate Cancer UK produce a number of ‘how to manage’ guides (link opens in new external tab). These include information on:
    • Fatigue
    • Problems with peeing (urinary problems)
    • Symptoms and side effects of advanced prostate cancer.
  • You can also contact one of Prostate Cancer UK‘s specialist nurses for support. They are available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. The number is 0800 074 8383. 
  • They provide an interactive fatigue diary. This is will open in a new tab and is a PDF so may not be accessible to screen readers. Listen to the fatigue diary You can fill this in and share with your healthcare team.
  • They also provide an interactive hot flush diary. This is will open in a new tab and is a PDF so may not be accessible to screen readers. Listen to the hot flush diary You can fill this in and share with your healthcare team.

 

Cancer Research UK 

  • Cancer Research UK have a lot of information about fatigue including information about how to manage and treat your fatigue (link opens in new external tab). 
  • They also have information on hot sweats (link opens in new external tab). 

 

NHS University Hospitals Plymouth

  • NHS University Hospitals Plymouth have made a video called ‘Living on hormones - managing side effects with exercise’ (link opens in new external tab). The video is about three minutes long.  This talks about the benefits of exercise in managing fatigue and hot flushes. 

  • They have also put together a 21-minute exercise video (link opens in new external tab). The exercises have been designed for men who have little or no experience of exercise. They can be done standing or sitting down. Always speak to your healthcare team before doing any exercises. 

 

Somerset, Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire Cancer Alliance (SWAG)

SWAG have a fatigue support page. This explains the three types of fatigue:

  • Physical
  • Emotional
  • Cognitive – the way you concentrate.

It also covers fatigue management  and how to access specialist support.

 

Bath Centre for Fatigue Services (BCFS)

  • BCFS provide a national support service. 
  • The ethos of their service is based on supported self management.
  • Treatment is tailored to your needs.
  • Treatment is aimed to support you with everyday life including work. 
  • Services can be delivered:
    • Online
    • Over the telephone
    • Face-to-face.

 

Videos

Northern Cancer Information Hub

 

Online ADT Educational programme

Online educational hormone therapy education programme info poster

 

  • This is a free online educational programme to help patients manage hormone therapy side effects. It is run by the European Association of Urology. 
  • The class is hosted by the following institutions: 
    • University Hospital Southampton
    • The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, Wirral
    • Guy’s Hospital, London
    • St James Hospital, Dublin Ireland
    • Prostate Cancer UK.
  • More information can be found on the Life on Androgen Deprivation Therapy website (link will open in a new external tab).
  • You can register for free online.
  • UK registration page (this link will open in a new external tab).

About this information

  • This information was published in July 2024. Date of next review: September 2026.
  • References and bibliography available on request.
  • If you want to reproduce this content, please see our Reproducing Our Content page (this link will open in a new external tab).

The toolkit is an information resource for people affected by prostate cancer. The development has been funded through an educational grant from Advanced Accelerator Applications (A Novartis Company).

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